Machine for the manufacturing of mouthpiece plugs and for their insertion in cigarette tubes



May 2, 1933. F. LERNER 1,906,793

MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF MOUTHPIECE PLUGS AND FOR THEIR INSERTION IN CIGARETTE TUBES Filed July 2, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet l farmer May 2, 1933. F. LERNER 1,906,798

, MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF MOUTHPIECE PLUGS AND FOR THEIR INSERTIONTN CIGARETTE TUBES Filed July 2, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Figh May 2, 1933. F LERNER 1,906,798

, MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF MOUTHPIECE PLUGS AND FOR THEIR INSERTION IN CIGARETTE TUBES Filed July 2, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Fig.5

z Dimer Av we 12 A v-chambenl etented May 2, 1933 res FRIEDRICH LEE/NEE, F VIENNA, AUSTRIA MACHINE FOR THE MANUFAGTURING OF MOUTHPIEGE PLUGS AND FOR THEIR INSERTION IN CIGARETTE TUBES Application filed July 2, 1931, Serial No.

This invention relates to a machine adapted to work in accordance with this method by means of which the mouth-piece plugs are manufactured and inserted into the cigarette tubes.

It is usual to manufacture the plugs referred to of filtering absorbent material, such as crepe paper, cellulose, cotton-wool, or the like, in such a manner that a strip composed of several layers of the material employed is taken from a roll and passed through shears up to a rolling device in v which the severed-piece of the stri is rolled or twisted into a round plug. e rolled N plug is then thrust by a rammer from the rolling device into a tubular member, the so-called spoon, over the end of which the cigarette tube is fitted.

This mode of operation has the disadvan- E tage that in the process of twisting the plug in the-hollow space within the rolling device, which consists of a set of rollers, the plug becomes only approximately round, and is moreover distended in the intermediate spaces, between the annularly disposed twisting rollers, in consequence of the toughness of the fine fibres of the material employed. The consequence of the described weaknesses of the commonly practised method of manuw facture is that on the ejection of the plug into the spoon the diameters of the plug and of the spoon are not in conformity, with the result that the machine is often disturbed or interrupted in its working. 1

In accordance with this present invention this drawback is obviated by providing that the plug be formed by applying pressure to the ends of a flat lying strip of material.

In carrying this invention intoefl'ect I provide a pair of press cheeks forming together a hollow chamber and adapted to be opened to a distance at least equal to the length of said strip, so that thisstrip may be inserted betweenthe opened cheeks with its edge parallel the direction of their closingmovementand formed between them to a plug oithe cross section of. said hollow working according to this 0 The machine 548,423, and in Austria April 11, rear;

method and with said pressing device exhibits the following novel features Since the roll of material from which the mouth-piece plugs are formed consists of a loose fibrous material partly impregnated 56 with chemical matter, the roll is generally irregularly shaped and fragile. In order to enable the material to be unwound without disturbance, the roll of material is mounted in accordance with the invention upon a hor- 60 izontal or approximately horizontal platelike carrier, the material being continuously and uniformly unwound and conducted through shears which sever pieces of the re uired length. 5

or this purpose a conveyor wheel is pro= vided immediately in front of the shears which rotates with uniform and regulatable speed, whereby a uniform 'feed of the strip of material is obtained.

The axle of the conveyor wheel is adapted.

to be rocked about an axis parallel to the (iirection of the feed movement of the strip of material, in order to enable the conveying to be easily adjusted, it The piece of the strip severed by the shears is thrust by means of a reciprocating slide into the'press, whereupon the movable press-cheek thrusts the strip against the fixed check of the press, thereby forming the $0 plug. According to the invention the presscheeks are oval shaped so that the pressed plug is of elliptical section r The oval shape of the press cheeks'causes the plug after pressing to become of round section in consequence of the higher tension in the horizontal direction,

The plug thus formed is thrust by a rammer into a sleevethe so-called spoonprovided in front thereof, over which sleeve the cigarette tube is fitted. The spoon, which is secured in a known manner within.

a turnable disc is then advanced one step about the axisuof the disc and the, next spoon is brought into position in front of the opening of the press, whilethe spoon provided with a plug and a tube isbrought in front of a second rammenwThej latter removes the plug and the tube simultanetral pin 5 which receives the roll of materialously from the spoon into a collecting container.

The rammer for removing the plugged tube from the spoon is connected with a stripper adapted to slide upon the outside {of the spoon and to strip off the tube, while the said rammer pushes the plug forward within the interior of the spoon. This arrangement enables unslotted spoons to be employed and ensures that the ends of the tube and of the plug register.

The machine according to the invention is illustrated diagrammatically in a constructional example, in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a front view and Fig.2 is a plan view of the machine,

Fig. 3 illustrates the arrangement of the conveyor wheel Fig. 4 shows the rammers for the moving forward of the plug,

Figs. 5 and 6 demonstrate the press for forming the plug, in two operative positions,

Fig. 7 shows the closed press form and the spoon on an enlarged scale,

Fig. 8 shows the rammer and the stripper for removing the plug and the tube from the spoon, and

Fig. 9 is a section taken on the line IX- IX of Fig. 8.

On the machine bed 1 (Figs. 1 and 2) there is attached a bearing 2 which carries on its end a bolt 3 about which the bobbincarrier 4 is horizontally and rotatably mounted. The bobbin-carrier 4 has a cen- 6 for the mouth-piece fillers and by means of springs provided locks the roll against rotation.

The stri of miterial 6 is conducted through a c annel'7 with an adjustable side wall 8 in-which the conveyor wheel 9 is 'pressed against the strip of material 6. At the other end of the shaft 10 of the conveyor wheel 9 there is attached a stepped grooved disc 11. A counter-dies 12 is at- 'tached to a shaft 13 which carries a toothed. wheel 14. The latter en ages in the toothed wheel 15 on the main s aft 16 of the machine and is driven uniformly and continuously. A cord 17 transmits the rotary movement of the shaft 13 and of the pulley disc '12 to the pulley disc 11 and the conveyor wheel 9. The shaft 10 of this latter runs :in a bearing 18 which is tiltable about a --the conveyor wheel against the strip of 'material 6 can be accurately adjusted. on -the tilting of the screw 21 about the axis of the bolt 20 the conveyor wheel 9 can be lifted out of the guiding channel 7.

The shaft 13 of the pulley disc 12 is mounted in a holder 48 which is tiltable about the shaft 16, and which is under the action of a spring 22 and maintains a uniform tension of the cord 17.

The strip of material 6 is passed by the conveyor wheel through a fixed shearing device continuously on to a table 24 (Figs. 1 and 2).

The piece of the strip 6 severed by the shears is thrust, evenl spread as it lies upon the table 24, into t e open pressing device by means of a reciprocating slide 25. The pressing device consists of a fixed part 26 and a movable part 27 adapted to perform a straight line reciprocating move ment, thereby opening and closing the pressform. A cover plate 28 limits the space within the open press-form from above.

The specially shaped working ends 29, 30 (Figs. 5 and 6) of the press-cheeks are made interchangeable, so as to enable plugs of whatever cross-section and size to be manufactured.

The curvature of the working surfaces of the press-cheeks 29, 30 (Figs. 5 and 6) is so designed, that, as shown in Fig. 7, the transverse axis of the hollow chamber measured in the direction of the movement of the press-cheeks is smaller than the transverse axis of the spoon 36. After the ejection of the plug from the pre into the spoon, the plug expands and accommodates its crosssectional dimensions to those of the interior of the spoon.

The plug thus shaped is thrust by the rammer 37 from the press into the spoon 36, the center line of which registers with that of the hollow chamber of the press. The spoons 36 are mounted in an intermittently revolved disc 35. A length of cigarette tubingis arranged in the rotracted axis of the closed hollow form 0 the press and of the spoon. The tube severed from the length is fitted upon the spoon. A wheel 38 rotating in the direction of the arrow indicated in Fig. 4 causes the tube to hasten forward in advance of the lagging length of tubing, when being fitted upon the spoon.

After the moving forward one step of the disc 35 with the spoons 36, the spoon provided with plug and tube is brought into a position so as to register with the rammer 40. The rammers 37 and 40 are interconnected and are simultaneously operated'by a driver 41 (Fig. 4). With the rammer 40 there is connected a tongue 31 (Figs. 4 and 8) which during the forward stroke of the rammer 40 (towards the right in Figs. 4 and 8) slides upon the spoon 36, thereby causing the tube to be stripped from the spoon, whilst the rammer ejects the plug from the spoon. In order to enable the tongue 31 to pass through the 'spoon disc 35,

openings 32 (Figs. 8 and 9) are provided in the latter. By the provision of various means for removing the plug and the tube from the spoon, slots and openings in the tubular wall of the spoon can be dispensed with, and spoons with an uninterrupted Wall can be employed, thus the pressed plug is prevented from enlarging or deforming the spoon by its tension.

- The reciprocating movement of the driver 41 and of the parallel guided rammers 37 and 40 is derived from a rocking lever 42 (Fig. 4). The latter is operated by a camdisc 43 on the rotating machine shaft 44. The spring 33 causes the roller 46 of the lever 42 to be constantly pressed against the periphery of the cam-disc 43.

It will be noted that the invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiment herein described by way of example, but that it may equally well be applied to other similar and equivalent structures for the manufacturing of mouth-piece plugs wlth the employment of pressing devices.

I claim 1. In a machine for manufacturing mouth-piece plugs for cigarettes and c garette tubes, a pressing device having a pa1r of press cheeks capable of relative movement, one with respect to the other, from a position spaced apart from one another to enable a length of evenly spread plug-forming material to be placed between them to a position approached to one another, said press cheeks having concave working surfaces so as to form together a hollow chamber when the press cheeks are approached to one another for shaping the plug-forming material into a plug,-a feed device for feeding lengths of plug-forming material between said cheeks in the spaced apart position of the latter and means for removing the formed plugs from the said hollow chamber.

2. In a machine for manufacturing mouth-piece plugs for cigarettes and cigarette tubes, a pressing device comprising a pair of press cheeks and fixed guiding means for said cheeks enclosing the cheeks on three sides only, one of said cheeks being fixed and the other adapted to reciprocate in relation thereto from a position with the cheeks spaced apart from one another to enable a length of evenly spread plug-forming material to be placed between them to a position approached to another, said cheeks having concave working surfaces so as to form together a hollow chamber when the press cheeks are approached to one another, a feeding device for feeding lengths of evenly spread plug-forming material between the cheeks arranged to thrust the said lengths through the open fourth side of the said fixed guiding means, the stroke of the reciprocatable cheek being at least equal to the length of the evenly spread plug-forming material, and means for removing the formed plugs from said hollow chamber.

3. In a machine for manufacturing mouth-piece plugs for cigarettes and cigarette tubes, a horizontal holder for supporting a rolled strip of plug-forming material, conveying means for unwinding said strip of plug-forming material, a shearing device arranged to receive the material unwound by the said conveying means for dividing said material into separate lengths, a ressing device having a pair of press c eeks capable of relative movement, one with respect to the other, from a position spaced apart from one another to enable a length of evenly spread plug-forming material to be placed between them to a position a proached to one another, said press chee having concave working surfaces so as to form together a hollow chamber when the press cheeks are approached to one another for shaping the plug-forming material into a plug, a feeding device for feeding lengths of plug-forming material between said cheeks in the spaced apart position of the latter and means for removing the formed plugs from the said hollow chamber.

4. In a machine for manufacturing mouthpiece plugs for cigarettes and cigarette tubes, a horizontal holder for supporting a rolled strip of plug-forming material, a rotary conveyor wheel arranged to unwind said strip of plug-forming material, a supporting shaft for said conveyor wheel, supporting means for said shaft pivoted so as to be capable of tilting the shaft about an axis parallel to the direction of travel of the strip of material, adjusting means for setting the shaft supporting means, a shearing device arranged to receive the material unwound by the said conveyor wheel for dividing said material into separate lengths, a pressing device having a pair of press cheeks capable of relative movement, one with respectto the other, from a position spaced apart from one another to enable a length of evenly spread plug-forming material to be placed between them to a position approached to one another, said press cheeks having concave working surfaces so as to form together a hollow chamber when the press cheeks are approached to one another for shaping the plug-forming material into a plug, a feeding device for feeding lengths of plug-forming material between said cheeks in the spaced apart position of the latter and means for removing the formed plugs from the said hollow chamber.

5. In a machine for manufacturing mouthpiece plugs for cigarettes and cigarette tubes, 3, horizontal holder for supporting orting shaft for said conve or wheel, a liearing for said shaft pivote so as to be capable of tilting with the shaft about an axis parallel to the direction of travel of the strip of material, a set screw operatively connected to said bearing for'settlng the bearin a shearing device arranged to receive t e material unwound by the sald conveyor wheel for dividing said material into separate lengths, a pressing devicehav ng a pair of press cheeks capable of relative movement, one with respect to the other, from a position spaced apart from one another to enable a length of evenly spread plug-forming material to be placed between them to a position approached to one another, said press cheeks having concave working surfaces so as to form together a hollow chamber when the press cheeks are approached to one another for shaping the plug-forming material into a plug, a feeding device for feeding lengths of plugforming material between said cheeks in the spaced apart position of the latter and means for removing the formed plugs from the said hollow chamber.

6. In a machine for manufacturing mouthpiece plugs for cigarettes and cigarette tubes, the combination as set forth in claim 4 with driving means for the conve or wheel, comprising a rotary driving mem er arranged so as to be displaceable with respect to the shaft, a drive-receiving member fixed on the shaft, a flexible drive transmission member passed round said driving and drive-receiving members and a spring connected to said driving member so as to urge the latter away from the shaft for uniformly tensioning the flexible drive transmission member.

7. In a machine for manufacturing mouth-piece plugs for'cigarettes and cigarette tubes, a pressing device having a pair of press cheeks capable of relative movement, one with respect to the other, from a position spaced apart from one another to enable a length of evenly spread plug-forming material to be placed between them to a position approached to one another, said press cheeks having concave working surfaces so as to form together a hollow chamber when the press checks are approached to one another for shaping the lug-forming material into a plug, a fee ing device for feeding lengths of plug-forming material between said cheeks in the spaced apart position of the latter, means for removing the formed plugs from the said hollow chamber, spoon-ended members arranged to-receive said plugs in the interiors thereof and adapted to receive clgarette tubes on the exteriors thereof, the transverse axis of said hollow chamber measured in being smaller than the corresponding axis of the spoon-ended members.

8. In a machine for manufacturing mouthiece plugs for cigarettes and cigarette tu es, a pressing device having a pair of press. cheeks capable of relative movement, one with respect to the other, from a position spaced apart from one another to enable a length of evenly spread plug-forming material to be placed between them to a position approached to one another, said press cheeks having concave working surfaces so as to form together a hollow chamber when the press cheeks are approached to one another for shaping the lug-forming material into a plug, a fee ing device for feeding lengths of lug-formlng material between said chee s in the spaced apart position of the latter, means for removing the formed plugs from the said hollow chamber, spoon-ended members arranged to receive said plugs in the interiors thereof and adapted to receive cigarette tubes on the exteriors thereof, a rammer arranged to eject the lugs from the interior of the spoon-en ed members and a stripper fixed to said rammer and arranged to slide upon the outer surface of the spoonended. members for stripping the tubes therefrom.

9. In a machine for manufacturing mouth-piece plugs for cigarettes and cigarette tubes, a pressing device having a pair of press cheeks capable of relative movement, one with respect to the other, from a position spaced apart from one another to enable a length of evenly spread plugforming material to be placed between them to a position approached to one another, said press cheeks having concave working surfaces so as to form'together a hollow chamber when the press checks are approached to one another for shaping the plug-forming material into a plug, a feeding device for feeding lengths of plugforming material between said checks in the spaced apart position of the latter, means for removing the formed plugs from the said hollow chamber, spoon-ended members arranged to receive said plugs in the interiors thereof and adapted to receive cigarette tubes on the exteriors thereof, having continuous tubular walls, a rammer arranged to eject the plugs from the interior of the spoon-ended members and a stripper fixed to said rammer and arranged to slide upon the outer surface of the spoon-ended members for stripping the tubes therefrom.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

FRIEDRICH LERNER.

the direction of relative movement of the one press cheek with respect to they other 

